


Oregon

by Cottonstones



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Frottage, Love Confessions, M/M, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-20
Updated: 2016-02-20
Packaged: 2018-05-22 05:50:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6067540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cottonstones/pseuds/Cottonstones
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's been such a long time since Arin and Dan have traveled alone, just the two of them. Dan's not used to the quiet stretched between them. Usually, when they travel, it's chaos, a jumble of seven or eight people trying to get their shit together. Right now, Arin is sleep-mussed, wearing only pajama pants and a hoodie, looking like he would happily crawl back into bed if given the chance.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Oregon

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is loosely inspired by [these](https://www.instagram.com/p/BBDZtUdR7pB/) [pictures](https://www.instagram.com/p/BBFthvPx7vI/) [right here](https://www.instagram.com/p/32NqxpHzPI/?taken-by=mortemer)

"So," Arin starts, fiddling with the controller in his hands before setting it down in his lap so that he can focus on Dan, "when do you leave for Portland?"

Dan locks his phone and sets it down on his knee. He'd only just finished talking to the manager over at the CD Baby building. Ninja Sex Party’s newest album is being released soon, but they need Dan to come to Portland to finalize a few things before production can begin.

"A couple of days," Dan answers, already feeling exhausted at the prospect of traveling. It helps a little that he likes Oregon, Portland specifically. "I'll be back before our next recording day."

Arin nods. Dan notices the corner of his mouth twitching up in the beginning of a smile, the kind that Dan knows means he's excited about something. Dan prides himself on being an expert on Arin's body language. They've spent so much time together that he sometimes feels like Arin is an extension of himself, another part of his body.

"I'm not worried about that. We have enough backlogged videos that you could be gone the whole week and we'd be alright," Arin says. "I was asking because I think that I'm going to come with you."

Dan tilts his head, his own mouth curving up into a surprised grin. "Really?"

Arin tucks a few strands of his ever-growing hair behind his ear. "Yeah. I know that it's NSP business, but I could really use a break, you know?"

Dan does know. Arin does a lot for the company, for the Grumps, but it's usually Dan and Brian or Ross who are traveling. It's not necessary for Arin to come to Portland, but, in all honesty, the thought of having Arin there with him is making the impending trip seem easier.

"That is," Arin adds, "if you'll have me?"

Arin actually sounds nervous, like Dan will say 'no.' How does Arin not get that Dan can hardly tell him 'no' about anything?

"Dude! Of course! I'd love to have you, man!"

Arin's nervous smile blossoms into the real thing, wide across his face, and Dan feels his chest go tight for a second before he gets hit with a rush of affection for his best friend. Arin's been to Oregon before - with Dan, actually, and Suzy, when they'd first gone out to meet the CD Baby people.

That reminds him. "Is Suze coming, too?"

Arin picks the controller back up. Now that Dan's off of the phone, they can start the capture back up and finish their current episode. He spares Dan a glance. "No, she's got some stuff to do here. It'll just be the two of us."

"Oh," Dan says, his voice verging on soft, though he isn't sure why. He and Arin have traveled together without Suzy before, but those trips were usually taken with the other Grumps. Trips taken with just the two of them have been few and far in between. "Well, we'll have to bring some Voodoo Donuts back for her."

Arin smiles and unpauses the game. "It's basically a requirement for our marriage at this point."

\--

Two days later, Barry drops Arin and Dan off at the airport. Their flight is scheduled for ungodly early in the morning, the sun having just barely risen in the distance. Arin is used to sleeping in late, so he's nearly dead on his feet, still trying to shrug off the remnants of sleep. Dan similarly feels the tug of sleep behind his eyes. If he doesn't nap on the plane, then he knows that he'll feel off all day.

"You kids be safe, okay?" Barry says as he tucks his phone into his pocket. His job is done, so now he can head back home and crash for a few hours.

"Sure, Dad," Arin says with a snort.

"Don't die and don't do anything that I wouldn't do," he adds.

"We should be the ones worrying about you," Arin says. "We're leaving you alone with Ross and Brian."

Barry smiles. "Yeah, but I still have Suzy here."

"He's got a point," Dan says.

"We won't die if you two make sure that the office is still standing by the time that we get back."

"Deal," Barry says. He wishes them a safe flight and gives them a small wave as he pads back toward the exit, leaving Arin and Dan alone, their twin luggage settled next to each other as they wait to board the plane.

It's been such a long time since Arin and Dan have traveled alone, just the two of them. Dan's not used to the quiet stretched between them. Usually, when they travel, it's chaos, a jumble of seven or eight people trying to get their shit together. Right now, Arin is sleep-mussed, wearing only pajama pants and a hoodie, looking like he would happily crawl back into bed if given the chance.

Dan reaches out and pats his shoulder, his touch startling Arin. He lifts his gaze to Dan's face.

"Don't worry, big cat, you can sleep on the plane."

Arin nods and, as if he needs to prove how tired he is, yawns. "I'm gonna. I'll die otherwise."

It's a half-hour before they board. Once they do, Arin drops gratefully into the aisle seat next to Dan and tips his head back immediately, all of his hair slipping back to pool at the base of his neck. Dan watches him for a moment, how his face relaxes even among the hustle and bustle of the plane, noisy with the sounds of other people boarding, talking, the flight attendants going around to check on them. Dan can see the subtle line of tension running along his jaw. Maybe sleep might be a little harder to achieve than he'd expected.

Once they're actually in the air, though, it's easier for Arin to fall asleep. Dan's able to dick around on his phone thanks to the airplane's WiFi while the passengers around them have settled into quiet chatter or silence. The flight isn't that long - less than two hours - and Dan almost wishes that it were a little longer for Arin's sake, just so that he could get a little more rest.

The next time that Dan looks up from his phone, he sees Arin's face pressed into the neck pillow that he'd caved and bought from the flight attendant. His face is hidden from Dan by the pillow and the curtain of dark hair that's fallen forward. He only knows that Arin is asleep because of the steady rise and fall of his chest. He doesn't look terribly comfortable, but at least he's asleep.

Just as Dan closes Instagram, trying to decide whether or not to take a nap of his own, he feels a heavy weight against his arm. He looks over and sees that Arin's body has shifted, his head now cushioned against Dan's arm instead of the neck pillow.

Dan can't help but laugh at how Arin's mouth hangs open just barely, how he can hear the soft hiss of Arin's deep breathing. He really should move Arin - he can't use his arm with the way that Arin's pillowed against him - but, looking down and seeing that deep relaxation etched into Arin's face, the way that his hair hangs over the curve of his eye (Dan has the intense and real urge to brush a lock of that hair away) ...he can't bear to make Arin move.

Arin's sleepy breathing, the way that his head rises and falls with the tempo of Dan's own breathing...it's comforting, in a way, and, before Dan knows it, he can feel himself nodding off, too, being pulled into the light comfort of sleep, his head tipped back against the head rest and Arin propped up against him.

When Dan wakes up, he's shifted positions. Instead of being upright, he's shifted to his right and his face is pressed into soft hair, _Arin's_ hair. There's a moment of hazy confusion where Dan is comfortable and warm and wanting no part in joining the waking world, but then their positions catch up to him and he jerks up too fast, his head spinning.

Arin stays sleeping, but he slides off of Dan's arm at the movement, his body bending like a flower weighted with rain, tipping with no one to catch it. At the lack of support, he slowly wakes, and, though Dan is still coming out of his own sleepy fog, he sees Arin's face tighten, sees his eyes blink open as he groans in mild discomfort.

Arin's eyes find Dan, blinking slowly, owlishly, and Dan feels affection stirring in him again. He can still remember the feeling of his face resting on top of Arin's head. He smiles at him, hoping that he doesn't look panicked.

"Good nap?"

"Yeah. I must have slept funny, though. My neck feels weird. Where the fuck did my pillow go?" He scans the area for the pillow that he'd blown five bucks on.

"I'm not sure," Dan says. "I fell asleep, too."

Arin stretches his arms over his head, rubbing at his neck to try to fix the problem. Dan couldn't have slept that long, but it was enough time to evaporate the weariness behind his eyes. Arin looks better, too, but Dan can’t shake the feeling of unease that settles heavily in his stomach.

\--

After landing, the two of them head next door to the car rental place to pick out a vehicle, their luggage in tow. The guy eyes them, giving them a once-over. Dan's sure that they don't look like much, what with him and his wild hair and Arin still sleep-mussed and in wrinkled pajamas. Still, he shows them the selection that they have to choose from.

Dan could care less; they're only going to have the car for two days. Arin, though, grins at the selection like a kid in a candy store. Now that he's slept and they're actually on the ground, it's like he's got his energy back, which Dan's relieved to see. Arin came to Portland with Dan to relax and enjoy himself and Dan would feel bad if he spent the whole time exhausted and wanting to sleep.

"So," Arin starts, leaning over and grabbing at Dan's arm with both hands, his large fingers curling into the leather of Dan's jacket. He looks up at Dan with big eyes, batting his lashes at him, and Dan can feel heat rising to his cheeks as a bubble of laughter works its way up his throat. "Which one should we get, darling?"

"Stop!" Dan says, giggling.

Arin holds fast. "Oh, you're such a prude in public," he teases, lifting the register of his voice to something light and flirty, something that makes Dan tingle. "You're not like that in the bedroom."

" _Arin_ ," Dan groans, his face going pink, "just pick something."

Arin rolls his eyes, hands slipping from Dan's jacket. Dan can still feel the warmth lingering behind, feeling like a phantom touch, a touch that he feels oddly and suddenly incomplete without.

Dan shakes his head and focuses on Arin as he walks towards a sleek black car, touching the hood before looking at Dan, waiting for his approval.

"It's got two doors and four tires. It looks good to me," Dan says.

Arin laughs. "So easy to please," he says with a wink, still playing his role, slipping into the act of a lover.

He slides away from Dan to go inform the worker that they've found the car that they want to rent. In fifteen minutes, they're loading their luggage into the back of the car. Arin claims the driver's seat; Dan, the passenger. Their next stop is the hotel.

Portland is nothing like California. It isn't as hot or as crowded, the traffic not half as bad as what the two of them are used to. Every time Dan comes to this city, he likes it more and more.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it?" Arin asks as he glances at Dan, probably noticing the way that Dan can't keep himself from staring out of the passenger side window as the landscape of the city passes them by.

Dan nods. "It's amazing. Watch out, California, I might be falling for the sweet charms of Lady Oregon."

His life is in California - his job, his friends - but Dan can see himself leaving it one day, far into the future, and coming here. _Staying_ here.

Arin raises an eyebrow at Dan, eyes shifting between Dan's face and the road.

"Really?" Arin asks, more surprise and less humor in his voice than Dan was expecting.

Dan shrugs. "It's nice here. It reminds me of home without me actually being home."

He sees a flicker of something that looks like panic cross Arin's face, just a shadow, a split-second ghost of fear passing over it. "I mean, like, in the future. I'm not planning on leaving any time soon, Arin."

Arin smiles, but it doesn't feel completely genuinely, something about it just a little off.

"I guess that I'll just have to follow you. I can't let my best friend leave the state without me."

Dan laughs. "Yeah, man! You and Suzy can build a cabin here and raise your kids in the lovely Oregon outback."

Now Arin laughs, a bark, something rough but real.

\--

They check into the hotel, standing side by side at the counter, Arin taking the lead and talking to the front desk to get their keys. Dan worries that Arin's going to slip into the same act that he took on at the dealership, pretending that they're more than friends, pretending that they're _together_. He waits, anticipating that same touch, the weight of Arin's hand on his arm, the thought making his heart beat a little faster, but the touch never comes. Neither does the joke. Arin simply takes the key with a 'thanks' and heads toward the elevator with Dan in tow.

Dan's relieved that Arin didn't go for the joke, but there's something else, something that feels murky in his stomach, something that feels close to disappointment - but Dan doesn't want to call it that. He doesn't even want to give it a name.

They ride the elevator together in silence, the room key jangling in Arin's hand. Usually, Suzy comes with them; usually, Dan has his own room and Arin and Suzy have theirs. This time, it's Arin and Dan alone together, something that only happens once in a while. The elevator ride is reminding Dan uncomfortably of the times when he's met up with girls, friends that didn't mind having casual sex with him. When he's riding in elevators with them, though, the silence is because he's got them pressed against the metal wall, mouths locked in an urgent kiss.

Dan's mind drifts to the memory of the last time that he was with a girl in a hotel, his hands on her wrists and her back against the wall of the elevator as they kissed slowly, like they had all of the time in the world, like the ride would never end. As Dan thinks about it, the face in his memory shifts. For just a moment, the body pressed against his is big, muscled, broad, the mouth that he's kissing rough with stubble. For just a moment, Dan is kissing Arin.

He jolts out of the memory, out of the thought, and, when he comes back to himself, Arin is staring at him with a curious expression on his face.

"Zoned out?" Arin asks.

Dan nods, running a hand through his hair and trying very hard not to flush at his imagination, at the false memory of kissing Arin in this elevator.

"Guess I'm a little out of it."

The elevator door _dings_ and the wave of cool, fresh air that wafts inside brings Dan back to himself. Arin steps forward first, pulling his luggage out of the door and leaning against it to prevent it from closing. He nods at Dan's luggage and then at the hallway. Dan grabs his bag, his shoulder and hip brushing the front of Arin's body as he passes him by.

Arin leads the way to their room, Dan standing behind him as he slides the key card to open the hotel room door. Arin gets inside first; Dan figures that it's probably to lay claim to one of the beds. 

"Uh oh," Arin says.

"What?"

"They only gave us one bed," Arin says. "There must have been a mistake at the front desk."

Dan freezes. One bed? He's pretty sure that Brent's not so much of an asshole that he'd book them a room with a single bed, so it must be a mistake on the part of the hotel. It's not a complete disaster - Dan's capable of sharing a bed with another guy; he and Barry had done it before when they shared a room with Arin and Suzy during a convention - but the idea of sharing a bed with Arin feels different than it had when Dan had to share one with Barry. Arin feels... _riskier_. He feels almost dangerous. Dan imagines his leg brushing Arin's as they sleep and his breath catches in his chest.

"They...uh, they did?" he asks, trying not to sound as nervous as he suddenly feels.

Arin whirls around, a huge and idiotic grin on his face. "Nah, I'm just kidding. There's two beds. That kind of shit only happens in movies."

Dan lets out a relieved breath as he moves past Arin, elbowing him as payback for freaking him out as he sets his bag on the end of his bed. There are definitely two beds, the both of them decorated with the ugliest bed spread that Dan's ever seen.

He feels that pang again, that muddy feeling that almost feels like disappointment.

Arin pads over to his bed. It's not far from Dan's, but, considering that he'd just thought that he had to share a bed with Arin, the space feels wider, the gap larger between them. Arin sets his luggage at the foot of his bed, flopping back onto the mattress.

"How long until we have to meet with the CD Baby people?"

Dan fishes his phone out of his pocket, checking the time. "About an hour. You know that you don't have to go if you'd rather stay here and chill, right?"

Arin props himself up on his elbows. "Of course I want to go, man."

Dan's happy that he wants to come. He might be going for NSP business, but he feels better knowing that Arin's going with him. Dan usually has Brian to lean on during these trips, but, since he's preoccupied with family obligations, Dan feels better having Arin there with him instead.

\--

An hour or so later, Dan and Arin are standing in the CD Baby office. Dan's there to go over the bundles for the cover CD, to approve the packaging and posters, to see a sample of what the bundle will look like when it ships. When it comes to the business side of the Grumps, Dan lets Arin take the lead and do the majority of the talking in the meetings, Dan offering his comments (and charisma) when he sees fit. This, though? This is Dan's business. It's Arin's turn to fall back.

Dan worries that maybe he'll get bored or zone out, but he stands there with rapt attention, like this is all as important to him as it is to Dan. Maybe it is. Dan doesn't miss the look of excitement, of fondness, that Arin has as he looks at the samples of the NSP bundles. Sometimes, Dan forgets that Arin started life as an NSP fan, that it was his band that drew Arin into his life in the first place.

Not for the first time, Dan can't believe that everything's worked out the way that it has, that he and Arin managed to find each other.

"This is awesome," Arin says, looking at Dan with a huge grin.

"Yeah," Dan says, affection filling his chest as he scans Arin's face, "it is."

\--

Dan and Arin end up ordering room service for dinner, the both of them drained from the flight that morning. They still have tomorrow to spend exploring the city and picking up donuts for Suzy.

They're sitting on their respective beds, Arin picking at his paleo-inspired dinner, Dan having already tossed the remnants of his meal in the garbage, when Arin says, "Whoa," from his bed and sets the remote down. "Look what's on."

Dan looks at the TV and, to his utter delight, can see the familiar opening to one of his favorite movies. "Lord of the Rings!" Dan says, grinning. He's been trying for years now to find time to get Arin to watch it, but it'd never happened. "Wanna watch it?"

"I think that we owe it to the Lovelies," Arin says with a laugh. He grabs his plate and sets it on the nightstand next to him before he looks at Dan and pats his bed. "Come over here and watch it with me?"

"Arin," Dan says, also with a laugh, nerves tickling the back of his throat, "I can watch it from here."

"Yeah, or you could come over here and watch it and explain shit to me when I get confused because you _know_ that I'm going to get confused."

"But - "

"Alright," Arin says, amusement clear in his voice, "I guess that we can watch something else."

Dan groans, rolling his eyes. "Fine! Jesus."

He pads across the floor and crawls onto Arin's bed. Arin's already under the covers, but Dan lies on top of them, the rough material scratching at his bare legs. He's only wearing a t-shirt and boxers. Arin is, too, but at least he's got the thick blanket draped over him to provide warmth.

"That's how much I love Lord of the Rings," Dan says.

Arin smiles as he settles in against his pillow, his body close to Dan's but a noticeable dip in the bed between them.

It turns out that Dan does have to explain shit to Arin, but he doesn't mind. He's waited so long to share this movie with Arin, to share this piece of himself with his best friend. He grins when Arin finds something funny, giggles when Arin laughs, tenses when Arin frowns.

In fact, Dan finds himself watching Arin more than the movie. He also finds himself freezing to death because their hotel room is unique in that, without the air being on, it becomes insufferably hot, but, with the air on, even at its lowest setting, it's too cold.

With a third of the movie left, Arin must notice the shiver that runs through Dan because he hears Arin sigh.

"Dude," he says, "if you're cold, then come here."

He flips the blanket back, holding it up and open for Dan to crawl under. Dan thinks about objecting, about making an excuse and heading back to his own bed, but he's cold and, right now, being warm sounds better than moving.

Dan still hesitates, though, and Arin laughs. "Come on, dummy."

Dan smiles at the fond insult and lets himself crawl under Arin's blanket. He instantly feels warmer. His and Arin's bodies are close enough that Dan can feel the heat radiating from him, but there's enough space that they aren't actually touching.

As much as Dan loves this movie, now that he's warm, his stomach full, he can feel sleep tugging at him again, threatening to pull him under. Arin is quiet next to him, but Dan can hear him mumbling at the characters on screen, so he figures that Arin is still awake. There's a commercial break in the movie, so Dan lets his eyes close until he hears the movie come back on - or, at least, that's what he tells himself.

The next time that Dan opens his eyes, the hotel room is dark, the TV turned off. He almost forgets where he is, who he's with, until he feels a solid, warm body pressed against him. Dan's legs are tangled with Arin's, his hand splayed open on Arin's chest, his head pillowed on one of Arin's outstretched arms.

"What the fuck?" Dan whispers into the quiet darkness of the room, the only sound the constant rumble of the air conditioner as it continuously kicks on and off. His brain is foggy and slow. He feels like he really should be more worried about this, but Arin's body is so warm and Dan is so tired, ready to fall back to sleep.

He feels Arin shift next to him, his fingers grazing his shoulder. Dan shivers involuntarily, panic belatedly setting in. He should be in his own bed. There's no reason for him to be in bed with Arin. Dan goes to untangle his legs from Arin's when he feels him begin to shift again.

"Dan?" Arin asks, voice groggy and rough from sleep.

"Yeah, I'm sorry, man. I must have fallen asleep on accident. I'll just..."

Dan goes to flip the blanket back when he feels Arin's hand catch his wrist, holding loosely, his thumb rubbing at the delicate skin there.

"You don't have to go," Arin says. He sounds calm, even a little soft, his hand still on Dan's skin.

It'd be easy to stay - too easy, which is why Dan should probably go. He hasn't moved yet, though, and, if he lets himself be completely honest, he doesn't really want to.

"Stay," Arin says, making the decision for Dan.

Arin releases his wrist, allowing him to go if he really wants to. Dan doesn't move.

Arin rolls onto his side so that he's facing Dan, the movement pulling their bodies even further apart. Dan misses that intense heat, misses the warmth that Arin's body radiates like a furnace.

Slowly, Dan lies back on the bed, turning onto his side so that he's facing Arin, mirroring his position.

"Did you finish the movie?" Dan asks.

The only light in the room is the dim, orange glow of the streetlights outside, the color pouring in through the crack in the thick curtains. Dan can barely see Arin, just the outline of his body, but he thinks that he sees a flash of teeth as Arin's mouth curves up into a grin.

"I did. It was so good! I'm gonna fucking have to buy the next one when we get back home. I don't think that I can wait."

Dan laughs. "You can borrow my DVD."

"Ah," Arin says, "I knew that you were my best friend for a reason."

"Yeah, my DVD collection."

"You figured me out," Arin murmurs.

Dan snorts. He's cold again, and he shifts his leg against the sheets until his bare leg brushes Arin's. Arin makes a small noise that Dan interprets as negative, so he pulls his leg back.

"You don't have to," Arin says. "It's okay."

"Okay," Dan says, letting his leg slide against Arin's again. "It's just that you're so warm."

"That's because you're a stick," Arin says. Dan doesn't need to see him to know that he's smirking. "Come here. I'll warm you up."

Dan lets out a sleepy giggle. "I'm fine."

Arin's hand slides across the sheet to touch Dan's fingers before skating up his arm, his touch gentle. Goosebumps erupt across Dan's skin.

"You sure?" Arin asks.

Dan rolls a little closer, close enough that Arin can drape his arm over Dan's body. He's already warmer just from being next to Arin, just from Arin touching him. Even in the darkness, Dan can see Arin's face resting on his pillow, so much closer than Dan had imagined.

Something in Dan's chest catches, something that he can't explain. He's so warm and all around him is Arin's scent. Maybe it's the darkness, the veil of quiet that hides them, that makes this feel different, makes Dan feel safer. Maybe it's Arin himself. They spend so much time together, after all, and, right now, it's just the two of them in an unfamiliar bed, their skin touching and the incredible fondness that always resides in Dan's chest when he thinks of Arin as present as ever.

Maybe it's all of that mixed together. Whatever it is, it becomes a pulse that propels Dan forward, rapidly closing those inches between him and Arin.

The kiss is soft, innocent, hesitant. Dan's not entirely sure what he's doing, his mind and body screaming at him for different reasons, simultaneously yelling at him to stop and begging him to never even consider stopping. He expects Arin to pull away; really, in the deepest recesses of his mind, he's expecting to get hit or shoved off of the bed. He's not expecting the soft groan that Arin lets out or the way that his fingers fist in Dan's shirt, keeping him close.

They break apart fairly quickly, their faces still close enough that Dan can feel Arin's breath against his face.

"Dan," Arin whispers.

"I know," Dan says, even though he doesn't know shit. He doesn't even know what Arin was going to say. All that he knows is that he just kissed his best friend - and that it felt _right_. Even through the fear, the nerves, Dan's body is asking for more.

"Do you?" Arin asks. He sounds a little on edge, a little unsure.

"No," Dan admits before leaning in and letting his body speak for itself. His mouth finds Arin's again, but he's misjudged in the darkness and ends up kissing the corner of Arin's mouth before he rights himself and kisses him properly.

They don't need to talk - well, maybe later, but not right now. Dan has no idea what he's doing, but he feels like someone's flipped a switch and now he can't stop. One of Arin's hands finds Dan's face, cupping his cheek, thick fingers brushing his cheekbone before inching up into his hair, sinking into the mess of curls.

Dan groans against Arin's mouth, Arin making a throaty noise in return, something desperate, something that warms Dan in a completely different way. He knows that this is crazy, that it makes no sense, that they're crossing some boundary that hasn't been fully defined in months.

Dan has no idea what he's doing, but he knows that, right now, he wants this. He wants _Arin_.

Their kiss grows in intensity. Arin's tongue nudges against Dan's lips and Dan opens for him, letting him inside. Arin shifts and suddenly Dan is on his back and Arin is hovering over him, his broad body above Dan's, their hips pressed together and mouths connected, the blanket tented around them.

Dan runs his hands up and over Arin's hips, tracing fingertips up his sides. He holds on because that's all that he can do, all that he can stand, like, if he doesn't have Arin's body to anchor him, then he'll float away, disappear from the safety of this dark hotel room.

Arin's mouth is searing against Dan's. He can hardly believe that it's Arin who he's kissing. Their mouths move together slowly, passionately, with a heat that cuts straight through Dan. In his boxers, Dan's cock starts to twitch to life. He's always been someone who gets aroused easily and this is definitely hard to resist. Before he knows it, he's fully hard - and, with Arin practically lying on top of him, he knows that Arin must be able to feel it, too.

Their kiss breaks again and Arin rests his forehead against Dan's, their breath mingling together.

"What are we doing?" Arin asks.

Dan's eyes flutter closed. It's so hard to concentrate when he can feel the warmth of Arin's body, the wash of his breath against his face. Dan doesn't have an answer for Arin because he has no clue what they're doing. He just knows that it feels right, like they were always working up to this point, moving down a steady path to this exact moment.

"Do you want to stop?" Dan asks, praying with every inch of his being that Arin won't say 'yes.'

"No," Arin breathes. "I definitely don't want to stop."

Dan reaches up and cups Arin's face, brushing the silky strands of hair away from his eyes. It's dark, but he tries to search Arin's face, trying to gain clarity, to know really and truly that he isn't making a huge fucking mistake.

Dan feels Arin's hips grind down, the hardness of Arin's cock brushing his thigh, and he knows that it isn't a mistake. Everything feels fast, but they've been laying the groundwork of sexual tension for years, the result of every joke, every tease, being this moment where Dan slides his hands down Arin's back to his boxers, hooking his hands into the waistband and dragging them down so that they're pooled around his thighs.

Dan brings a hand back to his mouth and spits into it, reaching between them. His hand finds Arin's cock, clumsily reaching out to stroke him with damp fingers. Arin hisses, his face falling away from Dan's to tuck into the crook of his neck instead. Arin presses a kiss to the soft skin of Dan's throat as Dan traces the hardness of Arin's dick.

He can't believe that they're doing this, that he's touching Arin’s cock right now. Arin's big and hard in Dan's hand, hunger burning brightly inside of him. His hands paw at Dan, sliding low and, just as Dan had done to him, tugging at Dan's boxers, Dan lifting his hips up so that Arin can get the fabric down.

Arin licks his palm right in front of Dan's face as he lowers his hand back down, touching Dan for the first time.

" _Fuck_ ," Dan hisses. Arin kisses the small expanse of skin that he can find at Dan's shoulder from where his t-shirt had slipped down. Their bodies are sluggish from sleep, heavy and liquid, and Dan doesn't think that they have the capacity for actual fucking. Arin must think so, too, as his hand finds Dan's, knocking it away from his own cock to grasp at both of their dicks.

Arin's hips line up with Dan's and roll, their cocks brushing together. Dan cries out, the feeling of his dick brushing Arin's unlike anything that he's ever felt before. Arin's breathing heavy above him, his lips finding Dan's ear, pressing a kiss there before they slide to his cheek, the corner of his mouth, finally claiming his mouth full on.

Dan rocks his hips up into Arin's touch, skin on skin, so hot, so warm. Their dicks rub together, their hips grinding. Everything between them is hot, hard, slick with their spit. Dan's hands wind around Arin's form, clinging to his t-shirt-covered back, holding on because it's all that he can do.

"Dan... _fuck_ ," Arin moans against Dan's skin.

The sound of their heavy breathing fills the room, the slight creek of the bed, the slick sound of skin meeting skin. It almost feels like a dream, some feverish fantasy that isn't really happening. In the darkness of the hotel room, it's like another universe, a private space separate from reality. The bed is its own island, just for Dan and Arin. The two of them are reduced to heat, bodies moving together, darkness spilling over them, hiding them from anyone else. They're all breath, sweet skin, jerky movements, whispered pleas and names.

Right now, it's easy to pretend that it's just them, that none of this matters, that it doesn't need to be thought about or discussed. Dan's going off of feeling, off of instinct, and every sign is pointing him to Arin.

Arin strokes them as their cocks rut together. He can feel the thick head of Arin's dick rub against his own. Dan reaches one hand down between them, touching the head of their dicks, feeling them slick with pre-come. Dan's hand drags lower, cupping Arin's balls, and he feels Arin shiver, his hips jerking.

" _Dan_ ," Arin says. It sounds like a warning.

"You like that?" Dan asks. "Is it going to make you come?"

" _Fuck_ ," Arin breathes as Dan rolls his balls gently in his hand, rubbing his thumb over the natural seam of them. He squeezes carefully, barely applying pressure, and that must really do the trick for Arin because Dan can feel his body twitch, can feel his hips and cock rock faster against his own. Arin lets out a stream of sweet noises as he tips over the edge, coming over their dicks and his own fingers.

Arin groans into Dan's collarbones, nearly collapsing on top of him but still managing to roll over at the last second, ending up on his back on the bed. Dan is still so achingly hard, and he follows after Arin, grinding shamelessly against Arin's thick, warm thighs.

" _Shit_ ," Dan hisses, realizing that he's close himself. The friction of Arin's skin against his hard cock is beautiful, just enough pressure to get him there, to allow his body to follow Arin's over the edge. Dan groans, gripping Arin's hips as his own stutter and he comes, shooting thick, white ropes over Arin's creamy, pale thighs.

Arin gets a hand on Dan's wrist and tugs him down into his waiting arms. For as cold as it was in the room, Dan's so warm, pressed into Arin's sweaty body. He doesn't mind, not as Arin plants soft, sweet kisses along his jaw.

Now that he's come and with how comfortable he is nestled in Arin's arms, Dan can feel the heaviness returning behind his eyes. The lust and intensity fading to leave behind a calm, a peace filling him up. He yawns, pressing his face into Arin's chest.

They'll need to talk tomorrow. There's no way around it. For now, though, it's still dark and there's still time to pretend that the whole world boils down to this bed, to them.

\--

The next time that Dan wakes up, the room is dimly lit by sunlight that seeps in through the crack of the curtains. He rolls onto his back, aware of the slide of the sheets against his mostly-naked body. It takes a moment before the realization of what happened last night slams into him like a physical punch, the air knocked out of Dan's lungs temporarily.

Last night had felt like a dream, a different world that didn't really exist. He sits up slowly. Next to him is Arin, still dozing soundly, on his side, facing Dan, hair covering his face. Dan's chest cracks, floods, spills everywhere, overflowing from his heart down to the rest of his body, like a sudden rainstorm.

Last night happened. That quiet, muted warmth of their bodies meeting, their roles changing, was real. Dan's surprised to feel no fear as he sits half-naked in the bed with Arin's come dried and flaking against his thighs. The thing that's filling him up is his affection, that same sense of love, how waking up next to Arin, in the same bed as him, is better than any other time that Dan's woken up before.

As much as he wants to linger and wake Arin, Dan feels gross, sweaty and sticky. He slips from the bed quietly. Arin sleeps on, not knowing that Dan has left their shared bed. He pads gingerly to the bathroom, intent on washing away the night before - but not what it meant.

Dan showers. His mind is full, heavy - yes, he's okay, but what about Arin? Dan's never been big on labels, on needing to classify and pin things down, dissect them to the point where they become nothing, where they're more words than feelings. He has no name for what's happening between him and Arin, but he feels the burn of pure affection, of fondness, for the other man. Dan's always loved Arin and now that love has shifted in his hands, morphed into something else.

As Dan leaves the shower, drying off in the bathroom in front of the mirror, he stares at himself. It's like he's physically changed because of the night that he spent with Arin. His jaw bears a faint pink mark, probably from the scratch of Arin's facial hair. Dan touches at it, at the barely-there evidence of that private island.

Dan dresses in the bathroom before moving back out into the hotel room. Arin is still asleep. Dan isn't surprised. Arin's a late sleeper and Dan had fallen asleep first last night while Arin finished the movie, anyway. His face is smushed into the pillow, his hair in his eyes, lips pressed together in something similar to a pout.

He looks so cute, sleep-mussed and lovely. Dan sits on the edge of the bed and watches Arin for a moment. He looks so _peaceful_. His heart quivers in his chest when he thinks of kissing Arin again. They have a limited window of time to explore Portland before they're due for their flight back home and Dan wants to talk to Arin before any of that happens.

"Ar?" Dan asks. "Hey, Arin."

There's no response from Arin, his chest rising and falling in the rhythm of sleep. Dan leans forward, hand on Arin's arm, palm open against warm skin. "Come on, baby bear, time to get up." He shakes Arin lightly, smiling as he watches Arin start to shift, Arin's face as tense as it had been before he woke up on their flight here.

Arin's eyes slowly flicker open, deep and dark, and they find Dan right away.

"No," Arin grunts. "Five more minutes."

"Come on," Dan says with a giggle. "We got stuff to do."

Arin huffs into his pillow but rolls onto his back, stretching his arms over his head and groaning. Arin seems fine, normal. He settles onto the bed, Dan watching him, waiting to jump into the conversation that they should probably have but not wanting to overwhelm  
Arin right when he woke up.

Arin's eyes find Dan's face and he smiles, sleepy and lazy.

"You already showered?"

Dan nods. "Yeah, waiting for your ass to get up."

Arin rolls onto his side, propping his head up under one of his arms.

"You look like you have something to say."

"I do," Dan says, nerves dancing in his stomach, hitting him suddenly now that he's got Arin awake in front of him. "I was thinking that we should probably talk about last night."

Arin's face falls into a careful blank state, but Dan can see his eyes dim, how they aren’t as bright as they had been moments before.

"Okay," Arin says softly.

"What are you thinking about it?"

"Me?" Arin asks. Dan nods, waiting for Arin to finish. Arin shrugs, pushing his hair out of his face. "I think that I'm happy that it happened, if that's what you mean? I liked it. I would do it again."

To hear all of that from Arin lights Dan's eyes up. He wants to do it again? Dan does, too - in fact, it's hard to be sitting here without experimenting to find out if Arin's mouth tastes differently in the daylight.

"What...ah, what about you, Dan?" Arin asks. He looks worried as he meets Dan's gaze.

Dan lets out a soft breath, his hand trailing across the bed and his fingers finding Arin's wrist and curling around it. Arin's eyes flicker to where Dan's holding him before they slowly rise to meet Dan's face.

"I know that you probably think that I'm freaking out, but...I'm not, really? I didn't plan for last night to happen, but I can't say that I'm upset that it did. It felt...right. It felt good. You felt good with me."

Arin smiles, sitting up. His hand finds Dan's, fingers lacing together.

"I rocked your world?"

Dan snorts. "Hey, you came first, remember?"

"Yeah, and you came all over me," Arin says, lifting up the blanket to peek at his thighs where he's no doubt still messy from Dan's come.

"What...ah, what about Suzy, man?" Dan asks, voicing the other concern of his, the one that means more to him than anything else. Suzy's his friend. He loves her fiercely and would never want to hurt her. He knows that the same is true for Arin.

Arin's face is calm, his smile small as he shrugs. "It's fine. You're my exception, dude."

"Your...what?"

"You know, like, when you get to pick one person that, if you had the opportunity to sleep with them, then it's okay to take it? You're my exception."

Dan laughs, but his chest tightens. This is something that Arin's wanted for a long time? He's thought about being with Dan for long enough that Suzy knew about it? For long enough that she gave Arin the okay on sleeping with Dan if the opportunity ever arose?

"I'm flattered," Dan says, rubbing his thumb over Arin's knuckles.

"You're okay?" Arin asks. "I mean, really?"

Dan nods, bringing their linked hands up to his mouth to press a kiss there.

"I am. I was thinking about it, why it was so easy. It was because I _wasn't_ thinking about it. My brain wasn't completely present, so I couldn't get in my own way. It was easy because my body and every other part of me already knew that I wanted you, wanted to _be_ with you. It was just my mind that needed to catch up."

Arin's face is soft, his hair a disaster as he smiles fondly at Dan, a smile that Dan's prepared to accept for the rest of his life.

"What happens now?" Arin asks.

Dan shrugs. "We do what we always do. We stay together. We love and care about each other. We do what we want."

Arin's eyes search Dan's face. For a quiet moment, it all seems doable, easy. "I can live with that." He leans in and he presses his mouth to Dan’s, as if to seal the deal, to bond them together full and sure.

They break their kiss and Dan smiles at Arin. "Go take a shower. We still have to pick up those donuts for Suzy."

"Fine," Arin says, sighing, as he finally crawls out of bed, Dan watching him walk to the bathroom. Arin stops right before he enters, though, leaning against the door frame and looking back at Dan. "I know that you already took a shower, but would you care to join me?"

Dan hesitates for a second before tugging his shirt over his head and following a laughing Arin into the bathroom.

\--

Two hours later, they've checked out of their hotel and are just leaving Voodoo Doughnut with two boxes bursting with donuts. They tuck them securely in the back seat, like precious cargo, before Arin claims the driver's seat, Dan content to give directions in the passenger's seat. They have a few hours to kill until their return flight.

Arin looks at Dan over the rim of his sunglasses, smiling as he slides them back into place. "Where should we go?" he asks.

Dan is relieved that the last few hours haven't felt any different. Nothing has changed between them except maybe their bond growing stronger, deeper with this new element of sex and confessed feelings.

"I kind of wanted to go back to that hiking trail that we'd found the first time that we came here?" Dan asks, glancing out the window as Arin pulls back onto the main road.

Arin nods. "That could be nice."

The first time that they'd gone was with Suzy. Honestly, the whole hike was her idea, but Dan had loved it. He feels an affinity with nature, feels at peace in the quiet calmness of it. He's not quite sure why he wants to go back, what's pulling him there - it isn't to erase the previous memory, to exclude Suzy. No, Dan doesn't want that. Suzy is firmly a part of this, though Dan figures that that's another conversation that he's going to have once he arrives home and donuts have been rightfully doled out.

Maybe he wants to go back because it feels like completing a journey, a circle, finishing something that was started long ago, something that was born the moment that they'd reached the peak of the trail and Arin had taken Dan's hand, squeezing as Suzy had laughed and said, "Hold on! I just _have_ to get a picture of this!"

Twenty minutes later, Arin is parking in the cut of concrete lot that is off to the edge of the trail. The day is pleasant enough not blisteringly hot, like they're used to back home. At least it's not freezing cold, like most of the states are in January.

The parking lot is the only concrete around for miles. The lot gives way to a lush, green park, the grass only slightly browned. A dirt path cuts through the grass and winds upward, merging into the thicker dirt path that creates the hiking trail.

The two of them emerge from the rental car and head down the slight slope where cement meets grass. The park surrounding the trail is flat in front of them, a small pond off in the distance. The world is peaceful and quiet around them, and it's never until these moments, these silences, that Dan realizes just how rare that quiet is in his life. His chest is absolutely bursting with appreciation for life, for nature, for the world, for his job, and, most importantly, for the man next to him.

Dan doesn't hesitate to reach out and find Arin's hand with his fingers, letting the tips brush against Arin's before he takes Arin's hand in his own. Arin looks down at their hands, then up at Dan, smiling soft and surprised, like he hadn't thought that this would happen at all. Dan knows that he's not one for PDA, especially with this new thing with Arin, but he can't deny the urge to connect to Arin, to anchor his own soaring spirit with Arin's.

As the two of them head toward the trail, intent on hiking the same trek that they'd made on their first trip, they pass close to the pond, a group of geese honking curiously at them.

"We better not get attacked," Arin says, eyeing the geese warily.

Dan squeezes Arin's hand. "Don't tell me you're afraid of some little geese?"

"'Little'? That one's, like, the size of a dog, man!"

Dan laughs. "Rest assured, I'll protect you from the dog-sized-geese, Arin."

"Oh, shit, we're doomed."

Dan rolls his eyes. The geese never attack, just watching the two of them pass by, as Dan and Arin begin to ascend the hiking trail. The trail is easy, not too strenuous. Hell, the first time that they'd made the hike had been on a whim and Arin ended up making it while wearing flip-flops.

The two of them are quiet as they walk. So much of their lives revolve around sharing, but, right now, they don't need to. Right now, all that Dan needs is the steady incline under his feet and Arin's hand laced with his own.

In twenty minutes, they make it to the top, the same overlook that they'd stopped at the first time, the same place that they'd posed for Suzy, hands clasped while she snapped a picture of them. Arin looks out over the city around them.

"Well, now I'm _definitely_ coming with you if you move here."

Arin glances at Dan as if to ask if that would be okay. Dan smiles, bringing Arin's hand up to his mouth and pressing a kiss to the warm skin there, watching the slight unease melt from Arin's face.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

\--

A handful of hours later, the two of them are boarding the return flight to California. It feels a little like exiting a dream, some home world and getting ready to visit a foreign planet. Dan doesn't quite remember how to exist in California anymore. Who was he when he left? He feels different now - in a good way, a better way.

He's not nervous to admit to any of the other Grumps that he and Arin are something now. He's fairly sure that Brian's been taking bets for years on when Dan and Arin would finally fuck. It's more like he's not ready to give up the seclusion, the feeling of owning something completely private with Arin. This whole trip had been so domestic, so unlike Dan's usual tastes. He wouldn't trade it for anything in the world.

The hike has tired the both of them out and, just as he had been on the flight to Oregon, Arin begins nodding off. This time, there's no pillow, no shifting. This time, he starts out with his face buried into Dan's arm. Dan knows that it can't be that comfortable, but Arin doesn't complain. He murmurs to Dan about long wait times and how irritating they are, but, slowly, he drifts away. Dan watches him for a moment, awed for a split second by how important Arin is to him, how much this other man means to him, how, if Dan had had any clue at all how this would all end up, then he might have done it a long time ago. He knows that, a long time ago, back when he first met Arin and felt that _zing_ , that buzz of chemistry, he wasn't ready...not for this.

Dan's a big believer in everything happening for a reason, in putting time into something paying off in the end, and, as he rests his head against Arin's, closing his eyes and letting himself follow Arin into sleep, Dan knows, he just _knows_ , that, right now, he's exactly where he's supposed to be.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Oregon [podfic]](https://archiveofourown.org/works/6609325) by [tigerfishy](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tigerfishy/pseuds/tigerfishy)




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